Academic Curiosity
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: Cedric sneaks out one night to party on the Durmstrang ship. Diggory/Krum slash.


_**LbN: My wonderful friend xSamuelx gave me this idea...All your fault xSx :)  
**_

_I shouldn't be doing this, I shouldn't be doing this, I shouldn't be doing this… _Cedric kept repeating this to himself as he made his way out of the castle. The January wind stung his face as he made his way down to the lake. He tried to figure out an excuse for this little excursion. Academic curiosity about the ship? He was just nerdy enough that that might work, provided he was caught by Flitwick and not McGonagall. Or Snape. He smiled when he saw the row boat sitting on the edge of the lake. "Evening," he said to the cloaked row man.

"He said not to talk once ve push ov," the boy whispered.

Cedric nodded and hopped into the small boat. He helped row across to the Durmstrang ship, and climbed up the rope ladder. As he ascended, he could hear music on the deck. A hand grabbed his and helped him over the side, and a second later, Cedric was looking into the face of Viktor Krum. "Looks like a party you've got here."

"I do vat I can…" Viktor smiled. "Are you vell?"

"I am." Cedric watched the rowboat boy run back across the deck to where they had a table of food set up. "So…Hermione Granger?"

"Yes. She vas lovely. And your date…Potter seemed quite put out."

Cedric chuckled. "Well, I'm not ready to tell people…about me, yet. And Cho is one of my friends…Didn't know Potter fancied her."

"I am sure he vill vorgive you ven you…decide to explain things." He held out his arm for Cedric to take.

"I'm guessing your friends know?"

"They do not mind. A vew of them are the same. Vat's happened to the music?" he called, and a few students with instruments started playing again.

* * *

An hour and a half and multiple glasses of mead later, Cedric was feeling warm, happy, and extremely sexy. This was why he didn't think twice when an equally drunken Viktor led him away from the party and into his room below deck. They stumbled into a few things on the way, but they made it there without seriously injuring themselves. Cedric kissed Viktor fiercely as the two of them fell to the bed. He shivered as he felt the Bulgarian Quidditch star's hands slide under his shirt.

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_

The two boys jumped apart, breathing hard. Viktor held a finger to his lips and nodded to his wardrobe.

Cedric, even though his mind was a bit foggy, understood. He crouched down inside of the small cabinet and listened.

"Who is it?" Viktor called.

"Professor Karkaroff!"

Cedric heard Viktor open the door and two sets of footsteps walked inside. A harsh voice started speaking a moment later.

"Ve need to talk about the Tournament."

"Can it vait until tomorrow? I am tired."

"Yes, vell you vould be, vat vith your decision to drink vith your friends. I am happy that you at least had the sense to leave early."

In the cramped space of the wardrobe, Cedric was imaging the glaring match taking place.

"Ve vill talk tomorrow," Karkaroff said, walking back to the door. "And tell your English friend to get back to his castle."

Cedric flinched. Karkaroff may have guessed he was there, but he stayed in the wardrobe until he left anyway. "Bloody hell, he's good."

"One ov the others probably told him. I vill take you back."

"Cheers," Cedric said, grinning. "Hopefully we can sort out the boat between the two of us."

"Ve're not _that_ drunk…"

* * *

Cedric rolled up his pants and hopped out of the boat. "I'll meet you in the library tomorrow."

"Good night," Viktor said, kissing him again.

Cedric trudged up the bank of the lake and watched Viktor row back to the ship. Shivering, he smoothed his pants back down. The last thing he needed was to catch pneumonia. He walked through the grass slowly, listening carefully. He took out his wand and whipped around a few feet from the entrance to the castle. "Oh, Professor Moody…I…er…"

"Out for a moonlit stroll, Diggory?"

"Er…I suppose, sir."

"Might have a better shot getting information out of Miss Delacour…"

"We don't talk about the Tournament," Cedric said quickly. "I haven't the foggiest what the egg means."

"Well, I don't show favoritism me. But if you want a good bit of general advice, I'd try muffling the sound if I were you…maybe _submerge_ it in something. Off to bed with you."

Cedric gave him a stare for a second, before entering the castle again. As he slipped back into the dorm room, it clicked. Water. The egg had to be opened under water. Cedric smiled as he got changed for bed. He'd have to remember to tell Potter….

_**LbN: Hope you liked it! Send reviews please!!! :)**_


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